Everyone post your reviews in here...I think it would be cool to keep them all in ONE THREAD instead of having 500 billion "I just saw LOTR!!!!" threads on the front page!! Somehow I don't think this will remedy it since people speak before reading, but whatever it's worth a shot
Anyway, I just got back from it a bit ago and here is my review!!!!!!!!!! It is going to have terrible grammar and structure and may not sound like a review at times, but I am still excited and its late?cut me some slack
NOTE: there will be some spoilers for those who haven't read the books!
On my way to the theater I was nervous. Nervous that it would never live up to the absolutely ridiculous expectations I have developed for it. Hell, anyone on this forum knows how freakin nuts about it I am. ANYWAY...so the question is...does it live up to my hype??
OH YES IT DOES! I was shocked...totally shocked at how great this movie was. It was so good and perfect that it was like I was in a dream...I thought "am i really watching this??"
It was that seamless...I thought I was in Middle-earth. The characters were absolutely oustanding...they did an amazing job here. The acting is phenonemal...for those who have doubts about Elijiah Wood, put them to rest...because HE IS Frodo Baggins. Viggo Mortensen IS Aragorn, Sean Astin *IS* Samwise, and most importantly of all...Ian McKellen *IS* Gandalf. These characters stood out more for me than any others, they were just so well depicted and beautifully acted.
Another fantastic performance was Sean Bean as Boromir. One of the last scenes of the movie (people who have read the book will know what I'm talking about) is absolutely heart-breaking. There is REAL emotion in this movie. You feel their pain when Gandalf plummets into the shadows...the emotion is just so good. John Rhys-Davies as Gimli and Orlando Bloom as Legolas both played their roles amazingly, especially Rhys-Davies as Gimli. If you know what a dwarf is like (and how stubborn they are) you will have a few good chuckles in this film. Legolas is an amazing warrior...a true God with the bow. Orcs in his path fall like dominos...it was done really well! He is lightning quick, just like he's described in the books.
Merry and Pippin bring some needed comic relief in the film, but it is NEVER overdone...it is thrown in at the perfect moments. The crowd in my theater loved them. I thought I would be annoyed by this, but it was well done...I'm looking forward to seeing how they develop in the following movies. Bilbo was great....this is some of the best acting I've seen Ian Holm do. What else can I say about the characters? Hmmm... Oh yeah, every Tolkien's fans dread... Arwen replacing Glorfindel! Liv Tyler really surprised me...after seeing this I can't think of anyone who would've done the role better. It must be the lighting or the makeup, but she is SO DAMN BEAUTIFUL in this movie...and is something that you would picture when Tolkien would describe how beautiful Elves are.
The one character I didn't like was Galadriel. I guess it?s mainly because I did not picture her like this. She is very surreal and strange in the movie, almost too strange. I always pictured her as more friendly and approachable...not menacing. This is really my only gripe with the characters...thankfully she got hardly any screen time, as did Liv Tyler (Arwen is not a warrior princess guys).
OK...enough about the characters!!!
edit: another character i wans't too pleased with was Hugo Weaving as Elrond. It's not that I was just seeing Agent Smith, but he didn't seem quite right.
THE LANDSCAPES! My God. You will never see such a mind-bogglingly beautiful film in your life...I guarantee it. Your jaw will hit the floor when you see some of these shots?the view of Isengard and Mordor is frightening?just terrible. Hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of goblins and orcs harvesting an army for Saruman?all working at once. It?s something I never thought I would see. Then there are many beautiful shots such as when Gandalf is riding Shadowfax to see Saruman. These are some images I?ll never shake from my head.
THE SPECIAL EFFECTS!!!!! Well, a new standard has just been set. ILM better get on their asses and start putting some effort into their work, because this stuff makes it look like crap in comparison. I?ll give a few examples here?in the 10 minute prologue at the beginning where they describe the history of the ring, a great battle takes place? Men and Elves against the army of Sauron. It?s so fvcking incredible?my lack of vocabulary here really shows (sorry) but I don?t know how else to explain it. Thousands and thousands of orcs, men, and elves battling?and then Sauron himself comes onto the battlefield. I am not going to spoil this, for it is one of the coolest scenes I?ve ever seen on screen. And what about The Balrog? WOW. That?s all I am going to say! This might go down as one of the most evil looking villains in movie history. Take your image of Satan and multiply it by a thousand times. Moria is massive?how did they achieve such scale?! Again, your jaw will be on the floor.
The action in this movie was one of the biggest highlights (obviously). A scene that stand out is the Flight to the Ford?it?s intense. It?s longer and more drawn out than it is in the books though, which works to its advantage. The Ringwraiths are terrifying in this movie?you can really tell they were trying to emphasize this and they succeeded. All of the battle scenes between the Fellowship and the Orcs were great?but you can see the signs of editing to keep it to a PG13 level (there are some decapitations though). The battle in the Mines of Moria was probably the action highlight of the film. The Cave Troll was great?very organic looking, totally seamless with the environment.
You do see glimpses of Gollum and he does look very good. As for a full CGI character, puts Jar Jar to absolute shame, that?s for sure!
What about being true to the books? Well, for the most part yes the movie is. However it?s compressed and it shows in some parts. They stay a good while in Hobbiton (it?s so well done that you don?t want to leave!!) but the trip from The Shire to Bree is REALLY cut down. We don?t get to meet Farmer Maggot (but we do hear him yelling at the Hobbits to leave his land!), and of course Bombadil and the Barrow Downs are gone. The trip from Bree to Rivendell is also pretty short. After Rivendell the story is much better paced though, and they hardly take any liberties at all, except for the stay at Lothlorien which is really short in the movie. The main thing is?LOTR is still there. The essence of it is there and if you don?t dwell on the small changes you will definitely enjoy it.
One of the most amazing parts was the emotion in this film. Scenes that stand out are the death of Boromir and when Sam follows Frodo to leave for Mordor at the end. I cried and I?m not afraid to admit it When Gandalf falls and they reach the other end of Moria is another tear jerker?*sniff*. Anyway, you can sense true friendship here?especially between Sam and Frodo. So much is told just by the looks on the faces of the characters?ahhhhhhhh, it was just so well done. This movie has depth and feeling to it. Yes, it is filled with amazing action, mind blowing special effects, and some of the coolest things I?ve ever seen?but what really wins me over is this stuff. The emotion is genuine and adds so much to the movie. Without this, the movie would be lifeless. I can?t emphasize this enough!!!
And a quick word about the soundtrack?STUNNING!
OK?I?ve been rambling?I will sum it up now:
Conclusion:
It was definitely worth all the waiting and anticipation for me. Never once have I seen a COMPLETELY FULL theater that quiet and that attentive. With 3 hours of movie, you?d think people would be getting up constantly for food and bathroom breaks?I saw only 2 people get out of their seats. Not a peep was heard throughout the film?it was like it captivated everyone. It captivated me that?s for sure?I still don?t believe that I just saw what I did.
Like I said above, my main beefs with the movie was Galadriel and the whole Lothlorien part of the film, as well as how quickly they moved through the story before Rivendell (and also changing minor things, like how Merry joins them and how they get their swords). I?m not going to mention the other changes that we?ve all known about for a while?and while I would?ve liked to see it the original way, they did a great job adapting the new changes into the story, it?s pretty seamless.
Overall though, I am still amazed at how well done this was. Some parts were different than I pictured but it was such a beautiful film overall. You may not be into the whole fantasy thing, but at least see the movie for its sheer beauty. I wish I could tell you more, but I don?t want to spoil anything else. All I can say is that some of it will stay in my head for a long time. I am biased and my ?Review? definitely sounds a little fanboyish, but I am being honest here with everything I say. When you see this movie, you will be transported to Middle-earth, and you won?t budge an inch for every glorious second of it. There was a roaring applause in the theater after it finished, and Peter Jackson?if by some twisted piece of fate you read this, I am forever your servant!
Anyway, I just got back from it a bit ago and here is my review!!!!!!!!!! It is going to have terrible grammar and structure and may not sound like a review at times, but I am still excited and its late?cut me some slack
NOTE: there will be some spoilers for those who haven't read the books!
On my way to the theater I was nervous. Nervous that it would never live up to the absolutely ridiculous expectations I have developed for it. Hell, anyone on this forum knows how freakin nuts about it I am. ANYWAY...so the question is...does it live up to my hype??
OH YES IT DOES! I was shocked...totally shocked at how great this movie was. It was so good and perfect that it was like I was in a dream...I thought "am i really watching this??"
It was that seamless...I thought I was in Middle-earth. The characters were absolutely oustanding...they did an amazing job here. The acting is phenonemal...for those who have doubts about Elijiah Wood, put them to rest...because HE IS Frodo Baggins. Viggo Mortensen IS Aragorn, Sean Astin *IS* Samwise, and most importantly of all...Ian McKellen *IS* Gandalf. These characters stood out more for me than any others, they were just so well depicted and beautifully acted.
Another fantastic performance was Sean Bean as Boromir. One of the last scenes of the movie (people who have read the book will know what I'm talking about) is absolutely heart-breaking. There is REAL emotion in this movie. You feel their pain when Gandalf plummets into the shadows...the emotion is just so good. John Rhys-Davies as Gimli and Orlando Bloom as Legolas both played their roles amazingly, especially Rhys-Davies as Gimli. If you know what a dwarf is like (and how stubborn they are) you will have a few good chuckles in this film. Legolas is an amazing warrior...a true God with the bow. Orcs in his path fall like dominos...it was done really well! He is lightning quick, just like he's described in the books.
Merry and Pippin bring some needed comic relief in the film, but it is NEVER overdone...it is thrown in at the perfect moments. The crowd in my theater loved them. I thought I would be annoyed by this, but it was well done...I'm looking forward to seeing how they develop in the following movies. Bilbo was great....this is some of the best acting I've seen Ian Holm do. What else can I say about the characters? Hmmm... Oh yeah, every Tolkien's fans dread... Arwen replacing Glorfindel! Liv Tyler really surprised me...after seeing this I can't think of anyone who would've done the role better. It must be the lighting or the makeup, but she is SO DAMN BEAUTIFUL in this movie...and is something that you would picture when Tolkien would describe how beautiful Elves are.
The one character I didn't like was Galadriel. I guess it?s mainly because I did not picture her like this. She is very surreal and strange in the movie, almost too strange. I always pictured her as more friendly and approachable...not menacing. This is really my only gripe with the characters...thankfully she got hardly any screen time, as did Liv Tyler (Arwen is not a warrior princess guys).
OK...enough about the characters!!!
edit: another character i wans't too pleased with was Hugo Weaving as Elrond. It's not that I was just seeing Agent Smith, but he didn't seem quite right.
THE LANDSCAPES! My God. You will never see such a mind-bogglingly beautiful film in your life...I guarantee it. Your jaw will hit the floor when you see some of these shots?the view of Isengard and Mordor is frightening?just terrible. Hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of goblins and orcs harvesting an army for Saruman?all working at once. It?s something I never thought I would see. Then there are many beautiful shots such as when Gandalf is riding Shadowfax to see Saruman. These are some images I?ll never shake from my head.
THE SPECIAL EFFECTS!!!!! Well, a new standard has just been set. ILM better get on their asses and start putting some effort into their work, because this stuff makes it look like crap in comparison. I?ll give a few examples here?in the 10 minute prologue at the beginning where they describe the history of the ring, a great battle takes place? Men and Elves against the army of Sauron. It?s so fvcking incredible?my lack of vocabulary here really shows (sorry) but I don?t know how else to explain it. Thousands and thousands of orcs, men, and elves battling?and then Sauron himself comes onto the battlefield. I am not going to spoil this, for it is one of the coolest scenes I?ve ever seen on screen. And what about The Balrog? WOW. That?s all I am going to say! This might go down as one of the most evil looking villains in movie history. Take your image of Satan and multiply it by a thousand times. Moria is massive?how did they achieve such scale?! Again, your jaw will be on the floor.
The action in this movie was one of the biggest highlights (obviously). A scene that stand out is the Flight to the Ford?it?s intense. It?s longer and more drawn out than it is in the books though, which works to its advantage. The Ringwraiths are terrifying in this movie?you can really tell they were trying to emphasize this and they succeeded. All of the battle scenes between the Fellowship and the Orcs were great?but you can see the signs of editing to keep it to a PG13 level (there are some decapitations though). The battle in the Mines of Moria was probably the action highlight of the film. The Cave Troll was great?very organic looking, totally seamless with the environment.
You do see glimpses of Gollum and he does look very good. As for a full CGI character, puts Jar Jar to absolute shame, that?s for sure!
What about being true to the books? Well, for the most part yes the movie is. However it?s compressed and it shows in some parts. They stay a good while in Hobbiton (it?s so well done that you don?t want to leave!!) but the trip from The Shire to Bree is REALLY cut down. We don?t get to meet Farmer Maggot (but we do hear him yelling at the Hobbits to leave his land!), and of course Bombadil and the Barrow Downs are gone. The trip from Bree to Rivendell is also pretty short. After Rivendell the story is much better paced though, and they hardly take any liberties at all, except for the stay at Lothlorien which is really short in the movie. The main thing is?LOTR is still there. The essence of it is there and if you don?t dwell on the small changes you will definitely enjoy it.
One of the most amazing parts was the emotion in this film. Scenes that stand out are the death of Boromir and when Sam follows Frodo to leave for Mordor at the end. I cried and I?m not afraid to admit it When Gandalf falls and they reach the other end of Moria is another tear jerker?*sniff*. Anyway, you can sense true friendship here?especially between Sam and Frodo. So much is told just by the looks on the faces of the characters?ahhhhhhhh, it was just so well done. This movie has depth and feeling to it. Yes, it is filled with amazing action, mind blowing special effects, and some of the coolest things I?ve ever seen?but what really wins me over is this stuff. The emotion is genuine and adds so much to the movie. Without this, the movie would be lifeless. I can?t emphasize this enough!!!
And a quick word about the soundtrack?STUNNING!
OK?I?ve been rambling?I will sum it up now:
Conclusion:
It was definitely worth all the waiting and anticipation for me. Never once have I seen a COMPLETELY FULL theater that quiet and that attentive. With 3 hours of movie, you?d think people would be getting up constantly for food and bathroom breaks?I saw only 2 people get out of their seats. Not a peep was heard throughout the film?it was like it captivated everyone. It captivated me that?s for sure?I still don?t believe that I just saw what I did.
Like I said above, my main beefs with the movie was Galadriel and the whole Lothlorien part of the film, as well as how quickly they moved through the story before Rivendell (and also changing minor things, like how Merry joins them and how they get their swords). I?m not going to mention the other changes that we?ve all known about for a while?and while I would?ve liked to see it the original way, they did a great job adapting the new changes into the story, it?s pretty seamless.
Overall though, I am still amazed at how well done this was. Some parts were different than I pictured but it was such a beautiful film overall. You may not be into the whole fantasy thing, but at least see the movie for its sheer beauty. I wish I could tell you more, but I don?t want to spoil anything else. All I can say is that some of it will stay in my head for a long time. I am biased and my ?Review? definitely sounds a little fanboyish, but I am being honest here with everything I say. When you see this movie, you will be transported to Middle-earth, and you won?t budge an inch for every glorious second of it. There was a roaring applause in the theater after it finished, and Peter Jackson?if by some twisted piece of fate you read this, I am forever your servant!